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                   Obama Calls for Infrastructure Improvement

   by VOA News

   U.S. President Barack Obama is pushing lawmakers to fund efforts to
   rebuild America's infrastructure.

   "We still have too many ports that are not equipped for today's world
   commerce," Obama told an audience gathered at the Port of Miami in the
   southern state of Florida on Friday. "We've still got too many rail
   lines that are too slow and clogged up. We've still got too many roads
   that are in disrepair, too many bridges that aren't safe. We don't have
   to accept that for America. We can do better. We can build better."

   Obama said building better ports and bridges should not be a partisan
   issue. He encouraged the government to work with businesses across the
   country in a proposal he called "A Partnership to Rebuild America."

   "It's a partnership with the private sector that creates jobs upgrading
   what our businesses need most: modern ports to move our goods, modern
   pipelines used to withstand a storm, modern schools worthy of our
   children."

   The proposal, initially mentioned in Obama's State of the Union
   address, is likely to run into opposition from Republicans in Congress
   as lawmakers try to agree on how to cut the government's enormous
   budget deficit.

   Last week, the American Society of Civil Engineers said infrastructure
   across the United States has improved slightly, but is still below
   average and may soon fail to meet society's needs.

   The society says U.S. infrastructure went from a "D" grade in 2009 to a
   slightly better, but below adequate, "D+" grade in 2013. The grades
   given to each infrastructure system range from an "A+" for
   exceptionally good condition, to an "F" for failing condition.

   The ASCE estimated that raising the infrastructure grade to a "B,"
   defined as "adequate for now," would require $3.6 trillion in
   investment by 2020. That is $1.6 trillion more than what is now set
   aside for infrastructure repair.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-calls-for-infrastructure-improv
   ement/1631402.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-calls-for-infrastructure-improvement/1631402.html